August 7 '06: Security has been tight at the Sears Tower and other large buildings in Chicago since the attacks on September 11, 2001. Security officials at the Sears Tower in Chicago told Crain's that though terrorism threats are not an everyday occurrence, "We do have incidents everyday."

Crain's reported at the Sears Tower, "Major changes include beefing up the security staff - it now numbers about 75, including off-duty Chicago police officers on each day shift - and installing metal detectors, X-ray machines and key cards turnstiles in the lobby. Management also increased the number of security cameras and upgraded many of them from analog to digital."

At the John Hancock Center, emergency disaster response plans are "more important than implementing some of the security measures because it's how you respond in real situations that can save lives," Crain's was told by Henry Garcia, the vice president of security consulting and engineering at Kroll Inc. who helped to consult the Hancock Center after 9/11. The emergency response plan was developed by Massey Enterprises of Virginia Beach, VA.

Curtis Massey, the CEO of Massey Enterprises said the disaster response plan designed for the Hancock Center, though confidential, was geared toward "developing a detailed plan that includes everything from the location of power cutoffs to notes about tenants with potentially troublesome office contents, like heavy equipment or hazardous substances."

And at the The Federal Center, security measures costing upwards of $32.4 million have been implemented. "In April 1996, one year after the Oklahoma City bombing, the central Loop buildings received a security overhaul, including a larger security staff (the GSA won't give specifics), closer scrutiny of employee and visitor IDs, and additional cameras, X-ray scanners and metal detectors."